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Desk-Link Office Furniture of Tredegar saved

Tuesday 23 December 2008

A BELEAGUERED office furniture manufacturer, Desk-Link of Tredegar, has been rescued from closure - but with the loss of 59 jobs.

Business Fort Group of Staffordshire purchased the assets of Tredegar-based Desk-Link on Friday.

As a result 95 people will continue to work at the head office. They will be paid the eight weeks wages owed to them on Christmas Eve.

But 59 jobs have been lost among office and factory staff, including many of who were laid off at the start of the month.

The buyers, who also makes office furniture in Liverpool, have vowed to keep manufacturing in the Blaenau Gwent town as long as Assembly assistance is forthcoming.

Business Fort chairman Steven Withers said they have been provisionally offered £500,000 to keep work open in Tredegar.

The company hit a cash flow crisis when banks lowered the amount they could borrow on orders booked.

Workers have not been paid for seven weeks as a result.

Desk-Link MD Mike Bugler said they had the money to buy fuel and purchase materials to continue placed orders.

\"The staff have worked without pay and have been have been extremely loyal to the company,\" he said.

Blaenau Gwent Dai Davies MP said AM Trish Law had written to the office of economy and transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones AM requesting they contact the firm to see if there was any assistance they could offer.

\"Our first thoughts are with those who may not be retained by the company,\" he said, saying that losing such a high amount of jobs during Christmas was a tragedy.

He added: \"The important thing is that the company keeps a foothold in the valley’s community, and that the businesses stays and grows in Tredegar.\"

An Assembly spokesman confirmed they were in discussions with Business Fort about the future of manufacturing in Tredegar.

He said: \"Further meetings are due to be held soon between Assembly officials and representatives of the buyers.\"